This Wednesday my Showstoppers class participated in a focus group designed to figure out what PASA can do better with the AfterZone. It was cool! The girls thought that PASA should have more real world programs. For example, if you’re going to have a cooking program, it should be in a chef’s kitchen or some other professional kitchen environment instead of a classroom. Or if it’s a dance class, it could be in a dance studio instead of the music room at a school.
They really wanted more hands-on experiences that feel real. I think that’s a good idea. Kids need a feel for what they’re going to do and it’s very important to get outside of your school in order to get a better understanding.
In other news, Showstoppers will be performing at my high school (the Met)! Every time I have an internship, I have to have a final project that showcases what I’ve been doing. I only needed to have one final project, but instead I’m doing three with my Showstoppers group. They’ll be performing at the Met, but I’ll also be showing a video I’ve been making of the class at my exhibition. Also, because some of my 8th graders wanted more real world experiences, I’m arranging with my principal and the principal at Roger Williams to allow the 8th graders to shadow freshman at the Met. That way the 8th graders will have a better understanding of high school and they can see what the Met is all about.
This has been a great session with Showstoppers! Next Tuesday is my exhibition and I’m really excited to show what they’ve done. Interning at PASA has been fun! Meeting other people that do different things, but still have the same goals that I do has been great because you get to see what other people do that helps everyone accomplish the same goal.
If you want to keep seeing what I’m up to, feel free to follow me on Twitter at @belingt!